Report a concern about a child or a teenager

In an emergency

If there is an emergency, call 999 immediately.

Single Point of Advice (SPoA)

Need advice quickly? Contact SPoA by:

They are open Monday to Thursday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, and Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

Out of hours

If you have a serious concern and cannot wait for the next working day, call the Emergency Duty Service on 01273 335905.

They are open after 5:00 pm on weekdays, and all day during weekends and bank holidays.

Separated parents

If you are worried about your child’s safety with your ex-partner, or want help with contact and living arrangements, visit:

For professionals

Professionals can make referrals using the Children, Young People and Families Portal or visit Professional resources including safeguarding.

Contact and living arrangements for children

When parents separate

You and your ex-partner need to decide how your child will spend time with each of you. Try not to let hurt feelings make things harder for your child. Their happiness and safety should come first.

Where to start?

A good place to start is Parenting Together. It has helpful ideas for parents, like:

  • a Parenting Plan that you and your ex can work on together, even online
  • information about Mediation and Child Contact Centres
  • a free online course called Getting it Right for Children, which helps parents talk to each other
  • other links and resources you can use

Most of the time, it is best for children to keep seeing both parents. Your child might feel upset or worried, so make sure to listen and talk with them about what they need. Parenting Together has advice on how to do this.

Don’t stop your child from seeing their other parent just to punish your ex-partner.

If there is a court order for your child

If a judge has already decided where your child lives or who they spend time with, and you are worried about your child's safety, you should talk to a lawyer.

Do we need to go to court?

Usually, you and your ex-partner both share the job of making big decisions for your child. This is called Parental Responsibility. A mother always has this unless a court says otherwise. A father has this if his name is on the birth certificate or if he was married to the mother when the child was born.

If you share Parental Responsibility, your ex-partner can find out about your child’s school or health. It is best if both parents are part of the child’s life, unless it is not safe.

If you stop your child from spending time with their other parent for reasons that are not about their safety, it can make your child sad or worried.

Most of the time, parents do not have to go to court to decide where a child lives or spends time. If you and your ex don’t agree, remember that you both have the same rights. If you are the main carer and there is no court order, you must keep your child safe. This means you might have to decide what is best.

If it is safe, it is usually better to agree with your ex-partner instead of going to court. Agreements made together often work better and last longer than those made in court.

Getting help

If you and your ex-partner can’t agree, there are ways you can get help:

  • Legal advice - Family lawyers can help. Most of the time, going to court should be the last choice. Agreements made together usually work better. You can learn more from Resolution or get free help from Coram Children’s Legal Centre. There is no Legal Aid for family law advice from a solicitor.

If you do have to go to court, try other ways first, like seeing a family mediator. Court orders don't always solve the main problems. Any parent can ask the court for help, but you can't make a parent spend time with a child if they don't want to.

If your child or anyone else is in danger, you might need to go to court quickly.

You can find out more about family courts at Courts and Tribunals or use the Court Finder to find your closest family court.

When to contact Children's Services

Contact the Single Point of Advice if:

  • your family is already getting help from Early Help or social care
  • you are worried about your child’s safety, and you can't keep them safe
  • you need support or advice

Also see safety concerns:

If you are worried your child is not safe with your ex-partner

Concerned that your child is not safe with your ex-partner

If you are worried that your child is not safe when they are with your ex-partner or another family member, it is important to look after your child’s safety. Here are some things you can do:

  • stop your child from seeing your ex-partner or family member if you think it is not safe
  • ask another adult you trust to help when you drop off or pick up your child
  • choose a handover place that is not your home address
  • only talk about things related to your child when you need to talk to your ex-partner
  • send text messages instead of talking in person or on the phone
  • use a child contact centre, where staff can watch over your child to make sure they are safe - sometimes you must pay for this

Child contact centres are good for short-term use so your child can see your ex-partner safely. They are not meant to be used all the time. The National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC) can give you more advice about supervised contact.

Also see: